Bolton Wanderers v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[KevinGage]

To those saying we can't blame GH, it's the players' fault, if that were the case no manager would ever get sacked, even for getting relegated.  He's the boss, the buck stops with him, it goes with the territory.

A point that seems to be lost on a few.

[Chris Smith]

I'll tell you what, watching today's match makes me think we have the makings of a very decent, exciting, young side.  We need to get a top class defensive coach in the summer but we are not far away.  The move for the second goal was superb. 

Stick with these young lads and they'll do us proud in seasons to come.  My main annoyance from today was seeing Gary Cahill come back to haunt us - it had to happen at some point!

I agree, Billy, some of the footbal we played today was superb and for a 20 minute spell we battered Bolton only let down by sloppy finishing. Another day we'd have been 5 up.

If we can get the defence sorted out for next season (and we don't go down) then there's plent to be optimistic about. A worry is though that at least 3 of that side (Young, Walker and Reo Coker) might not be here.

[Jimbo]

Haven't seen it posted so

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aston_villa/9415840.stm

First time we have seen him like that by my reckoning. Looks a bit bothered.

He does look bothered. I don't dislike Houllier as a man, he's a decent sort, in fact I feel for him. I just really can't see him being successful with us, I just can't.

[TheSandman]

I don't think GH will be there next season. It'll be a shame, as there is real improvement in other areas of the pitch, but I think a mixture of our defensive frailties pushing us unacceptably close to the relegation zone come May, plus his consistent stream of media fuck ups which seem to have alienated him from the fans (two textbook examples this week alone)  to increasingly O'Learian levels will do for him.

Don't think so. They have invested too much and backed him to an extent that they won't get rid of him so quickly. He is here to stay barring relegation. Who knows it might pay off as toronto villa suggests.

However, I definitely think that there is an extent of this alienation that will be reflected next season in attendances until we start to pick up or if there is exciting signings.

[Rip Van We Go Again]

I can't bring myself to be too bothered about today's result.

The day i'm not bothered about us losing will be the day when I turn my back on supporting the club.

It's not going to happen, we're stuck together in this unhappy marriage.

Like Ken and Deirdre.

Cameron and Clegg.

[Mac]

I actually think Nigel Clough could do a better job.

I don't, he's a whinging cunt.

Yeah and Houllier is just a c**t

H&V has missed this standard of debate.

[tarzansbrother]

Haven't seen it posted so

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/aston_villa/9415840.stm

First time we have seen him like that by my reckoning. Looks a bit bothered.

What a fuckin embarrassment. The only thing missing was a nurse with a bed pan.

[pauliewalnuts]

I can't bring myself to be too bothered about today's result.

The day i'm not bothered about us losing will be the day when I turn my back on supporting the club.

It's not going to happen, we're stuck together in this unhappy marriage.

Like Ken and Deirdre.

Cameron and Clegg.

That pair are blissfully happy. Its the rest of us who aren't so chirpy

[Rip Van We Go Again]

If we can get the defence sorted out for next season (and we don't go down) then there's plent to be optimistic about. A worry is though that at least 3 of that side (Young, Walker and Reo Coker) might not be here.

For the first time this season Chris, I think we're going down.
He hasn't sorted out the comically bad defence and I don't think he will any time soon.
We're fucked.

[tarzansbrother]

I actually think Nigel Clough could do a better job.

I don't, he's a whinging cunt.

Yeah and Houllier is just a c**t

H&V has missed this standard of debate.

I agree its actually better than the tripe villa are serving us up at the moment.

[Brian Taylor]

and don't forget we are out of the FA Cup too!

If we can get the defence sorted out for next season (and we don't go down) then there's plent to be optimistic about. A worry is though that at least 3 of that side (Young, Walker and Reo Coker) might not be here.

For the first time this season Chris, I think we're going down.
He hasn't sorted out the comically bad defence and I don't think he will any time soon.
We're fucked.

[Toronto Villa]

I don't think GH will be there next season. It'll be a shame, as there is real improvement in other areas of the pitch, but I think a mixture of our defensive frailties pushing us unacceptably close to the relegation zone come May, plus his consistent stream of media fuck ups which seem to have alienated him from the fans (two textbook examples this week alone)  to increasingly O'Learian levels will do for him.

Don't think so. They have invested too much and backed him to an extent that they won't get rid of him so quickly. He is here to stay barring relegation. Who knows it might pay off as toronto villa suggests.

However, I definitely think that there is an extent of this alienation that will be reflected next season in attendances until we start to pick up or if there is exciting signings.

In reference to paulie's point, GH's problem is part language based, but also partly because he shoots from the hip when talking when a bit more control might be the order of the day. I do think he's done a lot of good things at the club, and I certainly concur with you that the investment has been far too significant to be firing him any time soon. I also cannot for the life of me believe he isn't disgusted at what he sees from our defending. That he's been trying to improve that side of things and despite his best efforts, the current players simply aren't up to it. I'm sure as much as us he just wants the season to end and for the surgery to start.

[Matt Collins]

We

If we can get the defence sorted out for next season (and we don't go down) then there's plent to be optimistic about. A worry is though that at least 3 of that side (Young, Walker and Reo Coker) might not be here.

For the first time this season Chris, I think we're going down.
He hasn't sorted out the comically bad defence and I don't think he will any time soon.
We're fucked.

we had 3 central defenders injured. Were not going down

[Toronto Villa]

If we can get the defence sorted out for next season (and we don't go down) then there's plent to be optimistic about. A worry is though that at least 3 of that side (Young, Walker and Reo Coker) might not be here.

For the first time this season Chris, I think we're going down.
He hasn't sorted out the comically bad defence and I don't think he will any time soon.
We're fucked.

I think we need 7 points Fletch. We have 4 homes games before Liverpool. It will just be enough to see it through.

[pauliewalnuts]

If we can get the defence sorted out for next season (and we don't go down) then there's plent to be optimistic about. A worry is though that at least 3 of that side (Young, Walker and Reo Coker) might not be here.

For the first time this season Chris, I think we're going down.
He hasn't sorted out the comically bad defence and I don't think he will any time soon.
We're fucked.

When we got through that spell of tough matches, we were all thinking we'd got an easier run of fixtures starting which would see us safe.

The first of that batch were Fulham, Blackpool, Blackburn and Bolton. From those matches we've taken 5 of 12 points, which isn't brilliant, but would probably see us safe were we to continue at that run rate.

However, we've actually got some tricky fixtures left - Arsenal away, Liverpool at home towards the end of the season. Next we have Wolves at home next, then followed by Everton away, Newcastle at home, West Ham away, Stoke at home.

If these defensive frailities persist, then I can see matches like West Ham and Stoke (we've got form against them) going against us, and that would put us in a very dodgy situation.

I think we'll be ok, but the fact is we shouldn't be anything like in so much trouble.